Claims
- 1. A method for reducing viscosity of heavy crude oils in significantly non-reversible manner, comprising the steps of: adding a viscosity-reducing amount of an amine-chelate complex formed by heating together at least one organic amine and at least one chelating agent to a heavy crude oil, and dispersing the amine-chelate complex throughout a portion of the heavy crude oil.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of: carboxylic acids, aminocarboxylic acids; phosphonic acids; polyphosphates; 1,3diketones; phenols; aminophenols; oximes; sulfur compounds; macrocylic compounds; polycarboxylic acids; terminally unsaturated acrylic acid oligomers; and salts thereof.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of: acetic acid, ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid and salts thereof.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic amine is selected from the group consisting of: aliphatic (C1-C40) primary monoamines; polyalkylamines; tertiary monoamines; saturated or substantially saturated aliphatic (C1-C40) secondary amines; and polyamines selected from straight or branched-chain alkanes containing two or more amino groups, at least one of which is a primary amino group.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the organic amine comprises an amine selected from the group consisting of: 2-ethylhexylamine, C4-C40 tertiary alkyl primary amines, tridecylamine, polyisobutylamine, oleylamine, di(cyclohexyl)amine, C4-C40 long chain alkyl amines and trioctylamine.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the amine comprises a tertiary alkyl primary amine of formula: wherein R1, R2, and R3 are each independently selected from: (C1-C37) alkyl; substituted (C1-C37) alkyl; (C1-C37) alkenyl or substituted (C1-C37) alkenyl.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein 0.01 to 50 weight percent of the amine-chelate complex is mixed with an organic solvent.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the weight percent of the amine-chelate complex is 0.01 to 10.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to prior co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 60/122,496, filed Mar. 2, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0451824 |
Oct 1991 |
EP |
WO 9932572 |
Jul 1999 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
H.F. Mark Editor: “Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 3” 1985, John Wiley & Sons, New York XP002141274 * Page 371*. |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/122496 |
Mar 1999 |
US |